


Countdown

by natalie_nebula



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalie_nebula/pseuds/natalie_nebula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric knew; as time passed, things changed. And he was okay with that.</p>
<p>A new school year, and old friends pass by and fall away. Bitty worries about keeping in touch. Little does he know, a stupid Canadian is struggling to get his feelings straight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Countdown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seeingrightly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeingrightly/gifts).



Eric knew; as time passed, things changed. And he was okay with that. 

 

Sept 1

Eric: Good luck on the ice tonight!

Jack: Thanks bottle :) you too

Jack: *bittle 

 

Sept 13

Jack: Hows rans holding up as captain?

Eric: Haha! Nervous but good!

Jack: Tell him I said hi

 

Oct 3

Jack: Chowder’s first shutout was on the news last night

Eric: MY SWEET BABY GOALIE!!! We’re all so proud!

Eric: I’ll tell him you saw the highlight reel!

Jack: :)

 

Oct 15

Eric: You were great tonight! Tough loss, but good game!

Jack: Thanks bittle. 

Jack: the guys all played hard. I could have done better tho

 

Oct 21st

Eric: good luck on the ice tonight!!!

Jack: Thanks 

 

Oct 28

Eric: what r u doing on halloween?

Jack: Away game

Eric: Ok. good luck!!

 

Nov 19

Eric: Looks like another #Hausgiving this year!

Jack: Sounds fun, happy thanksgiving

Eric: you too! :)

 

Dec 8

Eric: Happy Hanukkah!!!

 

Dec 14

Eric: Are you going to Montreal for Christmas?

Jack: I have a game on the 24rd

Eric: Oh yeah! You guys are playing at MSG! I’ll be watching!

 

Dec 24

Eric: Merry Christmas Jack :)

Eric: Good luck on the ice tonight!

 

Eric sat on the couch in his living room in Madison, bundled up in a pile of fleece blankets and throw pillows from Walmart. He had the volume on the TV turned down for a commercial break, and he peered through the hall to see his mother, perched at the dining room table, meticulously constructing another piece of her famous christmas village. Normally he liked to help her, but when he told her that Jack had a game, she just nodded and smiled and shooed him away. 

His father stepped back into the living room with another glass of eggnog and sat back down in his worn leather lazy boy. 

“Did I miss anything, Junior?” His voice was warm and gruff. Maybe he’d had a few _too many_ glasses of eggnog this Christmas, Eric thought.

“Nah, Coach, just the commercials.” Eric kept his eyes on the screen as the ESPN logo flashed across it again.

“Jack’s been doing well this season, dontcha’ think?”

“Yeah, all the guys are super proud of him. He really earned it.” 

“The kid’s been through a lot in his day.”

“He sure has, Coach.”

“But he’s still a fine athlete through and through.”

They were fairly quiet after that. The game went on. It wasn’t as exciting as was expected. The Falconers lost 3 to 2 in the third period but overall it wasn’t a huge upset. The cameras zoomed in on Jack shortly after the final buzzer as he tugged off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow, gliding alongside the boards. His eyes looked sunken. 

When the post game commentary came on, Eric pulled himself up from his cocoon. He stretched his arms up like a cat and let out a yawn.

“I’m heading to bed, Coach.”

“Alright, kiddo. See ya in the morning. Say goodnight to your mother.”

Eric bundled his blankets and pillows into a big wad and balanced it in his arms. 

“Alright, Coach. G’night.”

“G’night, Junior. Merry Christmas.”

As Eric stepped into the hall, his mother turned around in her chair and gave her son a warm, sleepy smile. 

“Goodnight, Mama,” Eric said, barely turning her way.

Suzanne tisked and shook her head. “Dicky, what has gotten into you?” He stopped shuffling towards the stairs and shamefully peaked over into the dining room. His mother’s arm was draped around the back of the chair her other hand fiddled with the stack of cards on the table. She chuckled a little. “It’s Christmas Eve and you can’t even find the good sense to give your Mama a hug and a kiss goodnight?” Eric hung his head low and hugged his blankets tighter to his chest.

“I just don’t fell well is all,” he mumbled, shifting his feet across the rug. Suzanne pressed her lips tight for a moment and looked her son up and down.

She sighed. “Alright, Sweet Pea.” She motioned with her arm. “C’mere, at least give your Mama a Christmas kiss before bed.” Eric smiled and stepped over to her, leaning in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

Eric smirked, “I thought kisses were for New Years, mama!”

“I know,” Suzanne replied smugly. “And I’m sure you’ll be getting your fair share when New Years Eve comes around next week.”

“ _Mama!_ ”

“Oh Dicky!” She laughed, rubbing his back gently. “I don’t mean to embarrass you, but when have I ever been wrong about such things?”

“It’s fine, Mama. Goodnight.” Eric turned and made his way back out to the hall.

“Merry Christmas, Baby.”

“Merry Christmas, Mama.”

Eric stomped up to his room and shut his door before plunging himself into his comforter and pillows. He took out his phone and held it close to his face, opening up his texts from Jack. He’d seen Eric’s last text a few minutes ago, but he hadn’t replied. Eric let out a sigh and set his phone on the bedside table, then curled up in a ball and kept his eyes shut, waiting for a buzz or a beep. It never came. 

 

Dec 27

Eric: Happy Holidays, Jack!

Eric: I dont know if the boys told u, but we’re having new years at the haus this year!!! 

Eric: If you’re not busy, I’m sure everyone would love to see u! I think Shitty is even coming!

 

Eric set his phone down on his suitcase and continued to pack up his things. The boys had decided it would be fun to host aNew Years Eve party at the Haus this year, though Eric insisted it be closer to a Hausgiving type gathering than the madness of EpiKegster a few weeks prior. It was just the team and some girlfriends, but Shitty insisted that if he was coming all the way from Cambridge that he be allowed to supply a keg for the event. Eric whistled while he worked, dancing along as he gathered up all of his belongings when he heard a light knock on his door.

“Come in,” he called.

Suzanne peaked her head in. “Dicky? How’s the packing going?”

“It’s fine Mama.” Eric kept busy as he spoke.

“Are you excited for your little New Years party, Dear?”

Eric chuckled, “Of course, Mama, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m just glad you get to see your old friends!” She smiled at her son. “I know, um… Mr. Crappy is going to be there. Is Jack coming?”

Eric stopped for a second. “I’m not sure.” 

“Did you invite him?”

“Of course we invited him, Mama!” He forcefully stuffed a cardigan into his bag, then turned and pulled open his dresser drawer so fast it almost fell out. 

“Just checking,” Suzanne quipped. “I’ll leave you to it, Dicky.”

“Alright, Mama.”

She carefully shut the door. When Eric heard it click, he flung himself back onto his bed and groaned. He reached for his cellphone and stared at the screen for a few moments, letting out a long sigh. No new messages. 

 

Dec 31

Shitty: B there soon!

Eric: dON’T TEXT AND DRIVE!!

Shitty: :* 

Eric: Get off your phone before I tell Lardo!

Shitty: Alright jeez. Calm down bits I’m getting gas. 

Eric: You better be mister

 

Eric tossed his phone down on the counter and shook his head. “These boys have no sense sometimes, scaring me like that.” 

“I _know._ ” Lardo was sitting at the kitchen table, typing away on her laptop. She jumped in her seat as a thundering sound came from the stairwell. Holster dashed into the kitchen, his socks skidding on the tile, and grabbed two apples from the fruit dish, tossing one to Ransom as he came in from the hall. 

“BOYS!” Eric snapped, smacking his wooden spoon on the edge of his mixing bowl. Ransom and Holster froze. “ _What_ have I told you two about throwing your food!”

“Sorry, Bitty,” They replied in unison. 

“If you’re gonna roughhouse, take your behinds _out_ of my kitchen. I only have a few more hours to prepare these hors d’oeuvres and I ain’t got time for such foolishness!”

“Yes, mom,” Holster smirked, making his way back upstairs. Ransom hung back and turned to Lardo.

“Hey, do you know if Jack is coming? 

“Not sure, man. Apparently Shits has been bugging him about it but he hasn’t heard anything definitive.” 

“Damn. Chowder’s up there and he found something of Jacks in his room. He was excited to give it back to him.”

“Oh well, he might have to wait until the game next month.”

Eric pursed his lips and focused intently on his mixing. They all had tickets to go to the Falconers’ game in January. He had _hoped_ he would get a chance to see Jack in person before that, but he felt his luck had run out on him for the year. 

“What exactly did Chowder find anyways?” Lardo asked.

Ransom shrugged, “I asked the kid the same thing and he won’t say. It looked like some kind of present to me, it was in a little bag with a bow on it.” 

“Hm, interesting.”

Just then, Eric’s phone buzzed. He looked down, excited, only to find another text from Shitty. 

 

Leaving the gas station now. Be @ Samwell in 30!

 

“Any luck?” Ransom had disappeared upstairs and Lardo was looking up at him from her computer screen. 

Eric shook his head. “No, but it’s alright I guess. He’s probably hanging out with the Falconers’ tonight anyways.”

As Eric turned back to his mixing, Lardo’s face fell into a frown. “Whatever you say, Bits.”

 

Shitty: dUDE THIS PARTY IS LIT 

Jack: calm down shits, you’re drunk

Shitty: I’m just tryna have a good time brah 

Shitty: I’d be having an ever bETTER time if a certain FORWARD for the providence falconers was HERE rn tho 

 

It was 9pm on New Years Eve and Jack was sitting alone on his bed in his apartment, watching a news report of people who had been standing in Times Square since the morning waiting to see the ball drop. He threw his phone down into his lap and noticed his leg bouncing up and down quickly. He groaned and threw his head back onto his pillow, resting the back of his hand on his forehead, then dragging his fingers through his hair, soft and clean after a hot shower. His new apartment was fancy and modern, but so… empty. Every surface was cold and new. Nothing was warm. There were no smells in the air, no sounds of voices or footsteps or cabinets opening and closing shut. The only time he heard the TV on was when _he_ turned it on. He felt like he had been haunted and he was waiting to see that his ghosts had followed them to a new place, but they hadn’t. He was just paranoid. 

Jack reached up and checked his phone again. It had fallen from his shaking thigh and had been swallowed up into the bedsheets. The screen showed one new text from Shitty.

 

Chowder says u left something of yours in his room. Looks like a present??

 

Jack felt his heart drop into his stomach. _It can’t be,_ he thought. But then Shitty texted him a picture. He was standing in Chowder’s doorway. It was obvious the boy had been trying to keep it private, but he could just make it out sitting on the edge of the bed. He _knew_ he had to go get it and explain to Bitty- _No,_ Jack told himself. _You’ll just make yourself look like a fool. But on the other hand, you can’t let anyone else open it._ He was stuck. Absolutely and completely stuck. So he pulled on some jeans, grabbed his car keys, and made his way out the door, absentmindedly forgetting to turn off the TV as he went. 

 

Larissa: where r u

Eric: kitchen 

Larissa: don’t make me come in there

 

Lardo stomped into the dimly lit kitchen, away from the music and laughter of the party. Eric looked up just as she entered the room. He was pulling another tray of cookies out of the oven. 

“ _Bitty!_ ” She shook her head at him. “You already made three of those platters this afternoon!”

“I _know_ ,” Eric whined. “I just didn’t want us to run out! The last thing I’d want heading into a new year is to squander my reputation as a host.”

“ _Bitty…”_

Eric sighed and tossed his oven mitts onto the counter with a huff. “I just feel so stupid!” He felt his throat tighten and sat himself down at the kitchen table to try and keep himself together. “He _must_ know how I feel and he must be repulsed by it. I feel like a horrible friend. I’m clinging onto him when all he wants is to move on with his new life that he’s worked so hard for, and I’m just holding him back!” He felt his voice crack and reached for a napkin. But before he could grab one for himself, Lardo pressed a warm hand to his back and handed him a proper tissue.

“Oh Bits,” She sighed, rubbing circles gently between his shoulders. “Jack isn’t repulsed by you. I’m sure he would be understanding of your feelings if you explained them to him.”

“I know,” Eric sniffled, running his sleeve under his nose. “He’d try to act nice but I’m sure he feels claustrophobic around me. He’s just too busy! He doesn’t need me trailing him like a lost puppy while he’s trying to follow his big dream.”

“Bitty.” Lardo turned to him and lifted his chin, looking right in his eyes. They sparkled a warm, caramel brown as tear drops began swell. “No dream is big enough or important enough to take Jack away from his friends. He’s not that kind of guy. He may seem like it sometimes, but I _know_ he isn’t. Not with his true friends. Part of him knows how much he needs the people who care about him in his life, even if he can’t always see it right in front of his face. I promise.”

“Bittle?” Eric lifted his head and gasped.

“Jack? What are you doing here?” He abruptly stood from his chair and it screeched against the linoleum.

“Are you alright?” Jack asked, setting his cap and keys on the counter. “What’s going on?” 

“Nothing,” Eric replied hastily. Lardo was still speechless, but she turned back towards Eric and cocked a brow at him. “We were just talking is all.” He tried to wipe his face as best he could without being too obvious but he felt like Jack’s bright blue eyes could look right through him somehow. “There are hors d’oeuvres in the living room if you want some.” 

Jack suddenly coughed. Eric looked to Lardo and see her eyebrows wiggling at him angrily, her face all scrunched up. Jack looked afraid of her and began nervously fiddling with the hem of his t shirt.

“Actually, I um, need to talk to you,” Jack mumbled. He paused for just a second and Lardo shook her head violently towards the hallway. “Um, I, I need to talk to you, uh, upstairs. In private,” Jack sputtered. Lardo was still glaring at him as Eric followed Jack up the staircase and into… Chowder’s room?

The door was unlocked (Eric figured he hadn’t heeded Ransom and Holster’s warnings about parties and bedrooms yet) and they slipped in quietly. Jack awkwardly took Bitty by the shoulders and sat him down on the edge of the bed. Eric felt small with Jack standing over him, shifting from foot to foot. He held a present in his hand, playing with one of the ribbons hanging off the side. Eric wondered if it was the same gift Ransom had been talking about.

Eric could hear the party going on downstairs without them; people talking and laughing, cheery holiday music playing, the sound of platters clanging together in the kitchen sink as someone set them down. _Lardo must be doing dishes,_ he thought. _How nice of her._ But Jack did nothing. He just looked around Chowder’s room -his old room- as though he had never left, as though he was visiting a place he realized he shouldn’t have forgotten. 

After the silence between them had stretched on for at least a minute, Eric went to clear his throat, but Jack awkwardly beat him to it.

“I-I wanted to give this to you for Christmas.” His words flew out of his mouth as he shoved the gift towards Eric. “But I mean, you weren’t here during Christmas obviously, so I just left it here, but I didn’t wanna leave it in your room because I didn’t want you to worry that I had been through your stuff or anything, but I, uh, I mean, so I uh, I left it in my room, which I forgot is now Chowder’s room, even though, I uh, I was the one who uh, gave it to him and all. So yeah. Here.”

Bitty riffled through the delicate tissue paper until he felt something round a flat at the bottom. He wrapped his fingers delicately around the object and pulled it out. “Oh Jack…” He cherished the thick weight of the rubber puck in his hand, running a finger along Jack’s signature, scrawled out across the flat edge in silver sharpie. 

“It’s from my first goal in the NHL. I… wanted you to have it.” 

“Oh Jack!” Eric felt the tears coming on again. He couldn’t help but fling himself up from the edge of the bed and into Jack’s arms, letting himself be wrapped in a big, warm hug. He chuckled against Jack’s chest. “No wonder that boy wanted to get rid of this so badly. He must have peaked inside.” Jack laughed too. It was hardy and full, and Eric could feel it reverberate through his bones. Slowly, he let himself be unravelled from Jack’s lumbering arms and they stood there, facing each other and smiling wide. He could still hear the chatter downstairs. It was escalating as the hours ticked by and midnight approached. Lardo was still doing dishes. Jack cleared his throat again to get Eric’s attention.

“I-I, I meant to say, I’m sorry.” Eric watched as Jack’s eyes fell and his shoulders slumped. How suddenly a big man could turn so small. “I know I haven’t been responding to your messages and I don’t want you to think we can’t be friends anymore. I… I have been busy, I suppose, but I just, I mean,” Jack’s breath caught in his throat and he had to turn away. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed. In me.”

Eric’s heart dropped right down to his shoes. 

“Jack!”

“I didn’t want you to think I’d dropped the ball on my play. I know you’ve looked up to me as a captain and I put you through a lot of unnecessary hardship and stress at the beginning and that wasn’t fair to you. And now that I’m in the league, I… I don’t want you to worry about me, y’know? I want to show people that Samwell made me better, and I was scared I wasn’t gonna be able to do that halfway through my first season. I knew I wanted to give this puck to you the second I made the goal, but I just… after a while, it felt meaningless. I mean, the goals just stopped coming. The assists, the power plays, nothing was clicking! I just… didn’t want you guys to think our last game was for nothing.” 

Eric sat back down on the bed, staring at Jack’s shoes. His breath was caught up in his throat and he felt like his words had no where to go. _You have to tell him, now’s your chance._ Eric closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in through his nose. _Here goes nothing._

“Jack, I have a crush on you.” Jack’s head perked up from where it had been, hanging low with his slumped shoulders. Eric kept his eyes trained to the floor. “I thought you stopped talking to me because… because you knew! And because you thought it was wrong, or because I creeped you out. But I just want you to know you’re the best Captain I’ve ever had and ever will have, and you’ve taught me so much and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world. And I think you’re a fine athlete and I don’t want me stupid dumb crush to get in the way of our friendship, so if you’re uncomfortable please tell me or else I’ll keep blabbing on like this and say something even more stupid and embarrassing!” 

Eric couldn’t _bear_ to look up after spitting all of that out. He couldn’t hear the party or the laughter or the dishes anymore. All he could hear was his own heart beating in his ears, pounding like a drum. Time seemed to move so slowly, even more so than it had before, as he waited for Jack’s voice to cut through the thick silence between them.

“You… you really mean that? You-you… you really _like_ me?” 

Eric slowly lifted his head from his lap and opened his eyes. Jack was standing closer, a red flush showing on his cheeks that hadn’t been there before. He blinked the tears out of his eyes and let them run down his cheeks. “Yeah, Jack, I like you. A lot.”

“So you’re not disappointed? You really… _you really think that much of me_?” 

Eric gasped. This was not at _all_ what he had been expecting.

“You… you’re, you’re _flattered_?”

“What do you mean, of course I’m flattered that you like me, Bittle!” 

Eric was absolutely speechless. _Jack Zimmermann… is flattered?_ “Are… are you… do you… well… reciprocate?”

Jack was silent for a moment. Eric’s heart started pounding faster and faster as he waited for an answer. Jack cleared his throat and his voice cracked a bit.

“Well, I mean, uh, I dunno. I’ve never… I’ve never really felt that way before, I guess. But I mean… uh…” Jack looked down and see Eric’s big brown eyes had grown ever wider. He was clutching the edge of the bedsheets and waiting with baited breath for an answer. _Now’s your chance,_ he told himself, _Just be honest._ “Eric,” Jack began, his palms starting to sweat. “I don’t know if I like you that way yet, I mean, I’m not sure I’ve liked anyone that way before, not in uh, in… in a _romantic_ way before, y’know? But your… you make me feel all warm inside, and the smell of your baking, it makes me feel so happy, and I miss that at the apartment. I miss it a lot. I’m just worried that… I don’t wanna do this wrong, y’know? I don’t wanna break your heart or anything, because, you, you mean a lot to me…”

Suddenly they were hugging again. This time, Jack took notice of how fiercely Bittle clung to him, how strong he was becoming, and how loving and tender each press of his fingers was into Jack’s side. 

“You mean a lot to me too Jack!” Eric’s voice was muffled in Jack’s shirt. “I don’t care if I have to hide or if you’re away all the time, all I want is to be with you! I know that must sound silly but it’s true.” 

Jack smiled a big warm smile and held Eric back in his arms, looking down at him and chuckling. He rubbed a big palm across the small of Eric’s back and the smaller boy blushed even more. “You’re so sweet, Bittle… I—“ Just then, Jack was interrupted by the count down beginning. 10, 9, 8… 

Jack stuttered, swinging Eric back and forth a little bit in his arms. “Do… do you wanna try and make this work?”

Eric smiled as another tear ran down his face. “I… I… Yes, Jack. Let’s try.”

“Ok,” Jack grinned. 7, 6, 5… “Do you wanna…?”

“Oh!” Eric jumped a little, shuffling on his feet. “This is my… my uh… first time, I suppose.”

“Your first kiss?”

“…Yes…” His voice was soft and low, and he stared down at the floor, embarrassed.

Jack let out a warm laugh. “We’ll just have to make it special then.” 4, 3, 2… 

Jack leaned in and scooped Eric up into his arms. The younger man squealed as the clock struck midnight and cheers erupted from downstairs. Jack’s mouth was warm and wet, and he was trying to move his lips but Eric felt lost. He kept still and let Jack trail kisses from the corner of his mouth down to his chin. 

“Wow, haven’t done that in a while,” Jack was out of breath, panting but smiling. “I hope that was good for a first one, eh?” 

Eric was blushing even harder now. He could feel how warm his cheeks were, how quickly he was breathing. He could feel the tension in Jack’s muscular arms as they gently held him aloft. Jack’s face was so close, his eyes bright and blue, but no longer piercing. Just… happy. 

“Happy New Year, Eric Bittle.”

Eric chuckled and playfully smacked Jack’s cheek.

“Happy New Year, Jack Zimmermann.”

 

Epilogue

 

Nov 18

 

Jack: Hausgiving this year?

Eric: nah

Eric: I have something better in mind ;)

 

“So that’s how you remember it, eh?” Jack smirked at Eric from across the table. “I personally remember you blushing a lot more.”

“Same goes for you, mister!” Eric shot back. 

“Boys settle down!” Suzanne struck a spoon against her glass playfully. She smiled and nodded to her son. “That was a lovely story, Dicky. To think, your mother was right all along!”

“ _Mama!”_

“Right about what?” Coach asked, patting his lip with a napkin.

“Right about Dicky getting a _New Years Eve Kiss!_ I’ve told you boys time and again, a mother is always right about such things.”

Eric chuckled, “Well, you would have been wrong if Jack hadn’t been to embarrassed to put my present in my own room.”

“I wasn’t _embarrassed,_ I was just forgetful!”

“Tell that to poor sweet baby Chowder!”

The whole table erupted in laughter. A year later, and they were still making it work. 

 

Dec 24

 

Eric: miss u baby :*

Jack: miss u too <3 

Eric: good luck out on the ice tonight!

Eric: Coach and I will be watching!!!

Jack: thanks bitty :)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I’m aware the NHL takes a break for three days in honor of the holiday, but I figured the NBA does a Christmas day game (also usually at MSG, which I’ve been too before and is very fun), AND I found an article about how the Rangers USED to play on Christmas Eve (even though they were away games) so I figured this isn’t too crazy to make up for the purposes of this story. Also, I’m totally in the camp of “Jack celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas,” ‘cuz I mean, c’mon, his Dads side of the family is the Zimmermanns. Enjoy!


End file.
